Logbook · 16 places

Castle of Sax

Sax, L'Alt Vinalopó, Alicante

1 Villages · 6 Monuments · 1 Nature · 4 Activities · 1 Curiosities · 2 Historical milestones · 1 Food and drink

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Castle of Sax

Monument · Sax, L'Alt Vinalopó, Alicante

Castle of Sax, a fortress on a steep rock 524 metres above sea level overlooking the town, its narrow-streeted old quarter and the Vinalopó valley between Elda and Villena. The oldest remains on the hill are Iberian and Roman, but the present fortress is of Andalusi origin, probably Almohad, from the 12th century, rebuilt in the 14th century under Don Juan Manuel. The Order of Calatrava conquered it in 1239 and it later passed to the lordship of Villena until the Catholic Monarchs incorporated it into the Crown in 1480. It preserves two walled enclosures, a rectangular tower with two-metre-thick walls, and a cistern. A Bien de Interés Cultural (Spain's highest level of heritage protection), it has been municipal property since 1980 and is now restored and open to visitors.

Photo: Enrique Íñiguez Rodríguez (Qoan) (CC BY-SA 3.0)

What to see and do in Sax